Friction-clutch



[No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

0. B. RUMSEY. FRICTION CLUTCH.

"No. 551,840. I i Patented Dec. 24, 1895.

C 4 INVENTOR WITNESSES; .B fiums ATTORNEYS.

AN DREW BKSRAHAM. PHDTQLITHO-WASHINGTOND C.

(No Model.) 7 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. B. RUMSEY.

' FRICTION CLUTCH.

No.551,840. V Patent-ed Dec.24,1895.

INVENTOR 4 67aSL2. 2umsey.

WITNESSES:

ATTO RN EYS.

#NDREW BGRAHAM PNOTO-UTHQWASHINGTDNJ C,

(No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheet s.

' G. B. RUMSEY.

FRICTION CLUTCH.

No. 551,840. Pat ented'Deo. 24 1895.

INVENTOR .num say cbasB WITNESSES:

A'ITORNEYS.

MINOTOUMQWASHINGYUKRC.

UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES B. RUMSEY, OF HOMER, NEW YORK.

FRl CTlON-CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,840, dated December24, 1895. Application filed May 31,1895. Serial No. 551,102. (No and.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. RUMsEY, of Homer, in the county ofCortland, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Frietion- O1 utches, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full,'clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to friction-clutches adapted to transmit powerfrom a rotatingshaft to a pulley, drum or gear, comprising a loose drumor gear and internal expanding segments adapted to be sprung outwardelastically or otherwise and thereby brought into close frictionalcontact with the inner face of said pulley, drum or gear, so that therotation of the shaft is thereby transmitted thereto. Its object is toimprove the construction and increase the utility by decreasing thepossibility of slipping by providing means whereby the frictional gripof the segments can be adjusted or varied according to the degree of thepower applied thereto, whether light, medium or heavy, or the degree ofthe force to be transmitted by the pulley, drum or gear, or overcome byit to drive a machine or mechanism, comprising a suitable body of apulley, drum or gear and expanding segments mounted in a suitable manneror integral with a suitable hub, the adjacent ends of said segmentsbeing separated and suitable swinging wedges being provided andconnected by suitable links to a sliding collar upon the shaft, saidwedges being split longitudinally and having auxiliary wedges insertedinto the splits, and suitable means being provided to adjust the latterwedges, whereby the main wedges are expanded laterally, as desired, inorder to vary and adjust and regulate the degree of the frictionalcontact of the segments with the inner face of the pulley, drum or gear.

The invention consists in the several novel features of construction andoperation hereinafter described, and which are specifically set forth inthe claims hereunto annexed.

It is constructed as follows, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a pulley and shaft towhich the clutchmechanism is applied, and showing the friction-segmentsin engagement. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is asectional elevation of the same with the segments out of engagement.Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the pulley and clutch in engagement. Fig.5 is an elevation of a segmental friction-grip and hub. Fig. 6 is a sideelevation of an expanding-lever. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of thesame. Fig. 8 is a bottom plan thereof. Fig. 9 is a transverse sectionthereof through the wedge.

A is a suitable shaft upon which the pulley, drum or gear a is mountedloosely, comprising a hub 2, spokes 3 and overhanging rim. 4. Anordinary clutch-sleeve 5 is mounted upon the shaft in any ordinarymanner, as with a feather filling into a suitableway in the shaft, inorder that said sleeve may always traverse the shaft in the same directline and so that it will rotate with the shaft. Suitable ears 6 areprovided upon said sleeve, to which the links 7 are pivoted. Upon theshaft the friction-grip is secured, comprising a hub 8,

spokes 0 and overhanging segments 10, all integral, or in a singlecasting, the segments having the slotways 11, and their ends beingseparated by the spaces 12. Upon a suitable support, as an ear, upon oneof the spokes 9, the expansion-wedges 13 are pivoted, their other endsbeing hinged to the links 7. These wedges comprise a body bifurcated atone end, as at 14, to make the hinge connections to a link, andtransversely bored at the other to make the connection to said spoke byasuitble pivot-bolt, and having its outer intermediate faces 15 beveledso as to create a wedge and having a longitudinal slot 16, having itsfaces beveled or wedging substantially as shown, and having a slit 17 inone end opening into said slot, and 18 is a suitable auxiliary wedgeinserted into said slot and engaging with its faces, and 19 is asuitable adj Listing-screw and washer connected to said wedge, wherebythe sides of said slot can be sprung apart to increase the width of thesegment-expanding wedge 13.

The wedge is usually made of cast metal, as having sufficient elasticityor spring, so that when said screw is operated, said wedge will beexpanded or adjusted, and thereby will make a better fit when broughtinto en-- gagement with the beveled ends of said segments, and wherebythe degree of the friction-grip of the segments upon the inner face ofthe rim of the pulley, drum or gear can be varied to suit the use towhich the pulley, drum or gear is applied and according to the amount ofpower or force to be transmitted by it to drive the machine or mechanismto which it is connected.

I5 into the spaces 12, wedging the segments apart and expanding themoutwardly, throw ing their outer faces into frictional contact andengagement with the inner face of the pulley, drum or gear to drive it,and when 2 0 said sleeve is shifted the other way said wedges areretracted and the segments automatically and through their inherentelasticity or spring loosen their grip and the pulley, drum or gearstops its rotation, though the rotation of the 2 5 shaft and expandercontinues.

It will be seen that the expanding-wedges are swung upon a pivot, andnot traversed in a direct line to be brought into contact with the endsof the segments; that the mo tion is positive; that when the links arebrought into alignment with each other and into parallelism with thespokes then the clutch is on the center and locked against accidentaldisplacement, and that this style 3 5 of expansible wedges can beapplied to any type of expansion-grip segments which have a space orspaces between their ends, and

that said wedges are swung into and out of parallelism with the shaft.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. In a clutch mechanism, the combination with suitable expansiblesegments, of a pivotally mounted segment, an expanding wedge carriedbysaid segment supported and slotted and slitted substantially as shown,a wedge within said slot, and means to adjust it to Vary the width ofsaid expanding wedge, links connected to said expanding wedge and a suitable reciprocating support for said links whereby said wedges are swunginto or out of engagement with said wedges.

2. In a clutch mechanism, the combination with suitable expansiblesegments and spokes and hub carrying them, of an oscillatingsegment-expanding wedge forked at one end and pivotally mounted at thatend, and having a longitudinal slot, the side walls of which areconverging and provided with a slit through the end opening into saidslot, an auxiliary wedge mounted in said slot and a bolt whereby saidexpanding wedge is adjusted to vary the width of thesegment-expanding'wedge and means to swing this wedge upon its end pivotinto or out of engagement with said segments to expand them or permitthem to resume their normal conditions.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this Bid day of May,1895.

CHAS. B. RUMSEY.

In presence of- W. H. FosTER, E. C. OLNEY.

